Author Topic: Attempting Montasio #6  (Read 1760 times)

Offline Boofer

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Attempting Montasio #6
« on: April 10, 2016, 10:31:16 PM »
I really like this cheese style. Although this style is placed in the "Hard Grana" section, I prefer it to be eaten while young and pliable (3-6 months). Previous efforts have all been very satisfying.

2 1/2 gallons Twin Brook whole creamline milk
1 gallon Cozy Vale Creamery whole raw milk
1/2 gallon St. John's Creamery whole raw goat milk
1/4 tsp Thermo C
1/32 tsp PLA
1/2 tsp CACL2, in 1/4 cup cold distilled water
1/16 tsp dry calf rennet, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold distilled water

Cultures added to cold milk, which was raised to 95F.

I began to suspect that my culture might not be robust as the ripening consumed 3 hours. Then, when the cheese was being pressed, it failed to drop to 5.3-5.4. It seemed to hang at 5.6x, even with an overnight hold in the pot (lid on). I finally decided to go ahead and brine it. It got a brining of 17 hours.

After that, it was out of the brine, dried off, and placed in a minicave to airdry before being moved to the cave.

-Boofer-
« Last Edit: April 11, 2016, 11:58:27 PM by Boofer »
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

AnnDee

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Re: Attempting Montasio #6
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2016, 01:18:07 AM »
I was actually looking at your older Montasio making post just today and was quite inspired to make it next week (The "I can't stop eating this cheese" convinced me).
Which recipe method is easier to follow? Caldwell's or from 200 easy cheeses?

Kern

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Re: Attempting Montasio #6
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2016, 04:10:17 AM »
Sorry about the pH hangup, Boofer.  I had this happen on a blue I made a couple of weeks ago.  I wanted it to drop to 4.7 and the drop seemed to get real sloooooow around 5.1.  I had "plotted" that it should hit 4.7 in about three more hours.  Alas, it dropped to 4.9 and didn't budge for a couple of hours even though I carefully washed the tip (Extech) with dishwashing detergent after each reading.  For grins, I stuck it in some pH 4.0 buffer solution where it read 4.19.  (I had earlier calibrated it in some 7.0 buffer.)  So I hit the calibration button, rinsed it and put it back in the curds and got a reading of 4.71.  Washed it again and stuck it back in the 4.0 buffer and it read 4.00.  So, somehow it got "off calibration" during the make.  Don't know if this might have been your problem but as an engineer I know that instruments will sometimes lie to you with a straight face!   :-\  The cheese, however, never lies.  ;)

Offline Boofer

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Re: Attempting Montasio #6
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2016, 03:39:04 PM »
The rind was clean and dry so I cream-coated it and returned it to the cave for additional aging.

-Boofer-
Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Kern

  • Guest
Re: Attempting Montasio #6
« Reply #4 on: April 23, 2016, 05:18:38 PM »
Looks good. Boofer.  A cheese for your creative blend of milk.  Reminds me of a line from an old Steve Martin movie.  The scene is in a restaurant with a date he was trying to impress.  He asked this to the waiter:  "What animals do you have steaks of?".  Let's see: goats, cows (pasteurized) and Jersey's (non-pasteurized).

I used the cream wax (polymer, really) on a Gruyere the other day.  I like the stuff.  The neutral (colorless) lets you see what is going on under the film. 

AnnDee

  • Guest
Re: Attempting Montasio #6
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2016, 10:14:27 AM »
Hi Boofer, I made montasio with this recipe 2 weeks ago. I hope it will turn out as good as yours.
I am not planning to coat or wax it, I am hoping I can just leave it to develop natural rind.